Yesterday on Suzanne Lenglen: Coco Gauff against Mirra Andrejeva. A “match phare”, a match to look forward to. Coco Gauff is 19 years old against Andrejeva, 16 years old. So together 35 years old. On the tennis circuit it is always on the lookout for new names.
Coco Gauff may still be only 19 years old, but with her final place in Paris last year and her 6th place in the world rankings, she is already a permanent fixture.
But the name that has appeared at the speed of light in recent months and certainly in recent weeks is that of Mirra Andrejeva. Russian.
Is it because of her tender age or is it because she has been living and training in the south of France since the beginning of last year? She was spared questions about the war between her homeland and Ukraine.
Mirra and her three-year older sister Erika started playing tennis because their mother Raisa was under the spell of Marat Safin, the Russian who was number one in the world at the beginning of this century. He also won the Australian Open. The daughters would play tennis.
From Siberia, they first moved to Sochi, where the climate was better. But that was not enough for the perfect training. Erika and Mirra got the chance to live and train in Manacor in Mallorca with Rafael Nadal.
They finally chose the south of France and the “Elite Tennis Center” in Cannes owned by former player Jean-René Lisnard, because Daniil Medvedev had already trained there and was satisfied.
Mirra was the first to be picked up by the management agency IMG because of her talent and her results. Soon after, Erika followed.
(The Andreyeva sisters. Continue reading below the post.)
Her first set against Gauff was complex, then the barrel was empty
Erika was the first to take steps towards the top 100, but 16-year-old Mirra is the first to really make it. After Paris she will be 98th. The crazy climb started last year with tournament victories at the lower ITF level. After victories in the $15,000 tournaments, victories in the $25,000 and $60,000 tournaments followed. And so she jumped from nothing to 296 at the end of last year.
And in recent weeks, the really big steps followed. After two titles in Switzerland, she caused a stir in Madrid at the Masters 1,000 tournament. Andrejeva, then still as a 15-year-old, first beat ex-US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. After that she was too strong for the promising Brazilian Haddad Maia, and the day after her 16th birthday she also defeated the Polish Linette. Only in the 1/8th finals was Aryna Sabalenka one size too big.
And here in Paris, Mirra Andrejeva survived the three qualifying rounds without losing a set. Then she beat Alison Riske and Dianne Parry in rounds one and two, 6-1 and 6-2 each time. In the third round, Andrejeva played a completely complex first set, which she won in the tiebreak. But after that the barrel was empty. Gauff went on experience to a double 6-1.
“She can make a lot of progress if she also becomes more powerful”
But Mirra Andrejeva has issued a business card as rarely anyone gives at the age of 16.
Her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel occasionally saw Andrejeva mentally derail against Gauff: throwing a ball into the audience for which she could have been excluded.
Andreyeva realized that she had made a mistake. “This was really stupid and bad of me. I shouldn’t have done that. I got off with a warning. But I will work on this.”
“I am happy with what I have achieved here. I am 16 years old and can only play a limited number of tournaments. Normally Wimbledon will now come. I have never
played on grass. That will be a discovery. But I still don’t have a visa, so I don’t know what will happen.”
“And my future? I see all those big names here. Djokovic who has already won 22 grand slam tournaments. I want to win 25 in my wildest dreams.”
I see all those big names here. Djokovic who has already won 22 Grand Slam tournaments. I want to win 25 in my wildest dreams.
Her coach concludes: “Mirra has the tennis. She picks up on everything very quickly. Stress doesn’t really come into play yet. She plays very liberated like all players of that age. But as we can see, she still needs to mature and mature a lot in her mind.”
“She also plays with a very light frame. So she will make a lot of progress there, if she also becomes more powerful. I already know that the opponents don’t like to hear that!”
Dirk Gerlo
